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Featherweight
1. Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) [1]
Volkanovski improved to 2-0 against Max Holloway at UFC 251, but victory in the rematch came by a much slimmer margin than it did in their first meeting. After Holloway rocked the Australian featherweight champion at the end of Rounds 1 and 2 to take an early lead on the scorecards, Volkanovski finished strong over the bout’s final 15 minutes to earn a contentious split-decision triumph in Abu Dhabi. That makes nine consecutive UFC victories and 19 straight professional triumphs overall for the City Kickboxing representative. A showdown with Brian Ortega that was originally set for UFC 260 has been postponed after Volkanovski tested positive for COVID-19. That bout has been rescheduled for the UFC 266 headliner on Sept. 25.2. A.J. McKee (18-0) [2]
McKee had a star-making performance at Bellator 263, as he rocked Patricio Freire with a head kick and then rendered his opponent unconscious with a guillotine choke in their headlining encounter at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on July 31. Not only does McKee claim featherweight gold, but he earned a cool $1 million for making it through the promotion’s 145-pound bracket. McKee finished all four of his opponents — Freire, Darrion Caldwell, Derek Campos and Georgi Karakhanyan — in the grand prix and now looks poised to be one of the sport’s top featherweights for years to come.3. Max Holloway (22-6) [3]
Holloway erased the sting of back-to-back losses to Alexander Volkanovski in emphatic fashion at UFC on ABC 1, where he authored a dominant five-round verdict against Calvin Kattar at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The 29-year-old Hawaiian set several striking records in a masterful performance. Just as important, “Blessed” reaffirmed his place as one of the Las Vegas-based promotion’s top stars with a big victory on network television. Holloway was supposed to meet Yair Rodriguez in the main event of a UFC card on July 17, but the bout was postponed after the ex-champion suffered an injury. The rebooking against Rodriguez has been targeted for Nov. 13.4. Brian Ortega (15-1, 1 NC) [4]
Nearly two years away from the cage served Ortega well, as he showcased a refined skill set in a unanimous decision triumph over Chan Sung Jung in the UFC Fight Night 180 headliner on Oct. 17 in Abu Dhabi. Not only did “T-City” bounce back from a beatdown at the hands of Max Holloway in a featherweight title bout in December 2018, but he also earned himself a shot a current champion Alexander Volkanovski. Originally slated for UFC 260, that matchup is now set to headline UFC 266.5. Patricio Freire (32-5) [5]
Freire is a champ-champ no longer, as he was relieved of his 145-pound belt in a first-round submission loss to A.J. McKee in the Bellator 263 headliner on July 31. “Pitbull” is still arguably the greatest talent to compete under the Bellator banner, and he remains the promotion’s lightweight king, which potentially sets the stage for a rematch with McKee one weight class up. It’s worth nothing that Freire has bounced back from adversity before: The Brazilian has twice lost featherweight title bouts in the California-based promotion only to avenge those defeats further down the road.6. Chan Sung Jung (17-6) [6]
“The Korean Zombie” proved he isn’t the brawler he used to be at UFC on ESPN 25, as he relied on takedowns and positional dominance to capture a unanimous decision triumph over Dan Ige at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 19. The Fight Ready export has won three of his last four promotional appearances and rebounded from a decision loss to Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 180 in October 2020. Another ranked opponent is likely next for the 34-year-old South Korean.7. Calvin Kattar (22-5) [7]
Kattar was almost too tough for his own good at UFC on ABC 1, as he absorbed a whopping 445 significant strikes in a unanimous decision loss to ex-champ Max Holloway at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 16. Only time will tell if the punishment Kattar took will shorten his career. In the present, the setback halts the momentum of the “The Boston Finisher,” who had been victorious in four of five Octagon appearances heading into the bout.8. Josh Emmett (16-2) [8]
Emmett earned his third consecutive triumph in the Octagon at UFC on ESPN 11, as he captured a unanimous decision triumph over Shane Burgos. The Team Alpha Male product has not competed since that June 2020 appearance after suffering a severe knee injury in the bout that included a completely torn ACL among other myriad issues. It remains a distinct possibility that Emmett won’t return to active competition until 2022.9. Arnold Allen (17-1) [9]
Allen added another impressive notch to his belt at UFC on ABC 2, when he scored a decision win over fellow up-and-coming featherweight Sodiq Yusuff on April 10. That makes 10 straight professional triumphs – including eight in the Las Vegas-based promotion – for the 27-year-old Englishman, whose best days might yet be ahead of him.10. Giga Chikadze (14-2) [10]
Chikadze quieted the doubters in the UFC on ESPN 30 main event, as he earned an impressive technical knockout victory against Edson Barboza at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 28. “Ninja” has won nine straight professional outings – including seven in the UFC – and has been at his best when the competition level increased in finishes of Barboza and Cub Swanson. Chikadze might not get his desired callout of Max Holloway next, but a ranked foe is definitely on the itinerary.Other Contenders: Dan Ige, Edson Barboza, Movsar Evloev, Ilia Topuria, Bryce Mitchell.
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